Structural IPM Training Workshop

November 9, 2011

The Countywide Program collaborated with the San Francisco Estuary Partnership to provide training on structural integrated pest management (IPM) to San MateoCounty facilities’ managers and to IPM coordinators. Structural IPM provided a new focus of training that reached a number of municipal staff members who are not involved in the Countywide Program’s annual landscape IPM training. The workshop was attended by 54 municipal staff and workshop presenters. All but one of the attendees who completed a workshop evaluation form stated that the workshop met or exceeded their expectations.

The following provides a summary of some of the information presented by Luis Agurto, Jr. from Pestec and a panel discussion on successful IPM Programs. Both of these topics were considered the most helpful workshop topics based on attendees’ feedback.

Principles and Practices of Structural IPM

Luis Agurto, Jr. from Pestec provided practical IPM information from the pesticide applicator’s perspective. He emphasized the benefits of city staff staying involved with their contractors in the IPM problem solving and decision making process. IPM involves the minimization of pesticide use by preventing pests versus reacting to pests. IPM seeks long-term solutions and its use creates less liability and exposure to pesticides.

When using IPM it is essential to educate everyone involved about what the pest control program is about. Control of the pest problem is not the responsibility of one pest control technician because some of the city’s practices and deferred maintenance at the building may be contributing to pest problems. Each municipality needs to have an IPM team. There needs to treatment thresholds established as part of established pest management objectives.

Many of the pests that affect buildings, such as ants and cockroaches, start with the outdoors. The number one option for controlling ants is to exclude them from buildings. When exclusion is insufficient ant control baits are effective.
Door sweeps and caulking cracks are important methods of limiting access and habitat for pests. In one example cited by Mr. Agurto Pestec’s technicians had to keep carrying around empty hand tank sprayers when setting out cockroach bait because the facility’s employees were accustomed to seeing these sprayers. Hosing the floors at retail food facilities shoots food into cracks, which exacerbates pest problems. Fans can limit fly problems. An excellent source of information is the authoritative Handbook of Pest Control.

Panel: Roads to Successful IPM Programs

The panel discussion was led by Athena Honore, San Francisco Estuary Partnership, and the panelists consisted of Mike Wong, Facilities Manager, City of Palo Alto; Julie Weiss, IPM Coordinator, City of Palo Alto; Richard Estrada, Atco Pest Control; and Luis Agurto, Jr., Pestec. Some of the insights shared included the following:

  • Pests come from landscape so city staff needs to work with its parks and landscaping staff to control these pests. For example, rats may nest in ivy near buildings or be attracted to water on a city’s property.
  • Some pest control contractors do not really practices and believe in IPM, they have just jumped on the bandwagon for marketing purposes.
  • The IPM program has been a great tool for reporting the amount of pesticides used each year to the city council. The City of Palo Alto has achieved a 90% reduction in ecotoxic pesticide use over ten years.
  • Within the city it is important for the IPM coordinator to be offering a service to other city departments to help them solve their pest problems.
  • The root cause of ant problems may be that city staff is doing things that attract ants. The City of Palo Alto now includes IPM information in the two-day orientation training for new staff.
  • IPM is an iterative process.
  • Bait is a standard BMP now. Bait can be applied to cracks and the cracks sealed.
  • Insect growth regulators may also be used to control some structural pests.
  • Cities need to have a strong IPM coordinator to back up the pest control technician.
  • Pest control companies need to understand the local constraints because there are lots of options for controlling pests.
  • Complaints about spider and other bites may turn out to be caused by things other than pests.
  • Some times ant problems may be solved by placing liquid ant bait with stations outside the building.
  • The Department of Pesticide Regulation is proposing new regulations on the use of pyrethroids in order to better protect surface waters from pollution.
  • One gets what one pays for by using IPM. By using IPM the City of Palo Alto had an 80 to 90% reduction in service calls and a reduction in the costs of pest control. One recommendation was to provide the pest control company with a list of the city’s service calls in order to get a better estimate of costs.
  • Pest control companies are more cost competitive now than previously.
  • When communicating with the public more understandable alternative terms than IPM are less toxic pest control, green pest control, and good pest management.